207: Chapter 207 The Grand Pattern of the World

The energy fluctuations in the valley gradually subsided. The last batch to complete the conversion were the young clan members with the shallowest cultivation. When they opened their eyes, a faint, unusual color flashed deep within their pupils—a trace of spiritual energy circulating in their bodies. Tens of thousands of people sat cross-legged in this valley, which was sealed by an Emperor Realm barrier. Everyone was surrounded by a newborn halo of spiritual energy. Although it was not yet stable, it no longer conflicted with the rules of this world.

Hun Feng stood on a giant boulder in the center of the valley, slightly closing his eyes to feel the brand-new spiritual energy circulation within his body. Spirit Grade Heavenly Sovereign peak—after the conversion, his cultivation steadily stopped at this level, only one step away from the Immortal Grade. The Heaven-Slaying Flame burned quietly in his dantian, the nine-colored flames more restrained than before, but the destructive power contained within was even purer than when he was in the Fighting Qi Continent. The spiritual energy of this world was indeed more suitable for Emperor Realm experts to cultivate than Source Qi.

Just as he was about to speak, his Emperor Realm Soul suddenly captured dozens of unfamiliar auras approaching at an extremely fast speed from the outer edge of the mountain range. Those dozens of auras came from the direction of the mountain range's periphery, and the highest cultivation among them was only at the Earth Supreme level. In the Fighting Qi Continent, they wouldn't even be considered a second-rate force, but in this unfamiliar world, any sign of movement was worth being vigilant about.

Soon, a burst of rough and piercing laughter erupted in midair. Dozens of burly figures tore through the air and arrived. Leading them was a scarred, bald man with a face full of flesh, wearing only an open beast-skin vest on his upper body, revealing a hideous scar on his chest. Behind him followed dozens of equally fierce-looking strong men, each with undisguised greed and contempt written on their faces. The cultivation of these people was uniformly at the Earth Supreme level, and the auras of the bald leader and several other leader-like strong men were even deeper, all being Upper Earth Sovereigns.

Hun Muxiao's hand had already pressed onto the hilt of the blood abyss sword. Yao Yao leaned against Medusa's side, her peach blossom eyes narrowing slightly as she scanned the group from head to toe, a faint, cold sneer appearing at the corner of her mouth. Medusa had no extra expression, only gently drawing her young daughters behind her.

The scarred, bald man's gaze stuck to Medusa like a fly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down—he had never seen such a cold and beautiful woman. Right after, he saw Yao Yao, Gu Xun'er, and Xiao Yi Xian beside Medusa, as well as Yun Yun and Cao Ying slightly further away, the greed in his eyes almost solidifying. He licked his lips and laughed in a coarse voice, "Today is my lucky day! I've been hanging around this area for over a hundred years, and this is the first time I've seen so many top-quality beauties. Leave the money and the women, and the rest of you can get lost!"

The dozens of strong men behind him burst into unrestrained laughter at the same time. Some had already begun to stretch their wrists, their knuckles making cracking sounds.

Hun Muxiao rested her thumb on the sword guard, waiting only for a single look from her father to draw her sword. The bone whip in Yao Yao's hand rose slightly by half an inch, bloody aura silently condensing at the tip of the whip. However, none of them made a move because Hun Feng had not yet spoken.

Hun Feng slowly turned around. The bloody war spear transformed from the Heaven-Slaying Flame was still stabbed into the giant boulder beside him; he didn't even bother to pull it out. He raised his eyes to look at the scarred, bald man, his Emperor Realm Soul spreading out to completely envelop the dozens of strong men, and then he gently pressed down with the five fingers of his right hand in the void.

The pressure of a Heavenly Supreme level crashed down like an invisible mountain. It was not a probe, nor a warning, but pure crushing force. The scarred, bald man's wild laughter froze on his face, his knees bending uncontrollably as he was forced to kneel by that irresistible power, his face pressed tightly against the cold dirt, making even breathing extremely difficult. Behind him, the dozens of strong men fell flat on the ground one after another with thuds. Some tried to struggle but were pressed down even deeper by the pressure, their cheeks sinking into the gravel, not daring to make a sound even when their lips were cut. The gap between an Earth Supreme and a Heavenly Supreme could not even be described as a chasm.

The scarred, bald man's eyes rolled upward with all his might, and he finally saw the scene in the valley clearly—tens of thousands of people sitting cross-legged, everyone surrounded by a newborn halo of spiritual energy. And the few figures standing at the very front, each of their emitted auras far surpassed any powerhouse he had ever seen in his life. Heavenly Supremes, and not just one, but several. His entire body trembled violently, his teeth chattering. When did so many Heavenly Supremes appear here! How could big shots of this level appear in a godforsaken place like the Chaotic Demon Sea!

Hun Feng looked down at him, his voice not loud but clearly spreading across the entire valley: "A mere Upper Earth Sovereign dares to rob this Venerable? Who did you say you wanted to stay just now?"

"Spare my life! My Lord, spare my life!" The scarred, bald man kowtowed desperately, his forehead hitting the gravel and bleeding profusely. "This lowly one had eyes but failed to see! I deserve to die! I didn't know you lords were here, I beg my Lord to spare my dog life!"

Hun Feng did not withdraw his pressure. He merely looked at him with his hands behind his back, his tone as casual as asking about today's weather. "Want to live? I'll give you a chance. Explain clearly all the famous forces and all the experts above the Heavenly Supreme level in this region—no, in the entire Great Thousand World. Speak well, and I will spare your life. Miss even one—" He paused slightly, the Heaven-Slaying Flame jumping silently on his fingertips, "and you will bear the consequences."

The scarred, bald man felt as if he had caught a life-saving straw, pouring out all the intelligence on the forces he knew like beans from a bamboo tube. He spoke extremely fast, fearing that if he wasn't detailed enough, he would be slapped to death by this master.

"My Lord! My Lord! This lowly one is called Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng, and I've been hanging around this Chaotic Demon Sea for over a hundred years. I know all kinds of people in this area like the back of my hand! The place under our feet right now is called the Chaotic Demon Sea, the most chaotic region in the Great Thousand World! There are no rules, only the law of the jungle. Rogue cultivators, pirates, and fugitives all gather here! On the surface, this place has no owner, but in secret, the one controlling the Chaotic Demon Sea is the Three Saints Sect—"

"What is the background of the Three Saints Sect?" Hun Feng interrupted him.

"The Three Saints Sect is a demonic path force jointly founded by three Immortal Grade Heavenly Supremes! The three sect masters are both righteous and evil, doing things by any means necessary, and specifically recruiting desperate outlaws. All underground transactions, black markets, and assassin organizations in the Chaotic Demon Sea are managed by them; they are the actual rulers of the entire Chaotic Demon Sea!" Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng swallowed hard. "However, the Three Saints Sect is not the strongest force in the Great Thousand World. The strongest ones are divided into several tiers—any of those top-tier forces, if picked at random, could crush the Three Saints Sect to pieces!"

"Continue."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng hurriedly began to count on his fingers. "First, let's talk about the West Heaven War Palace—the Temple Master, the West Heaven Battle Emperor, is an Immortal Grade Heavenly Supreme. The entire realm is militarized, warlike by nature, and he loves to find people to spar with. The entire Lesser West Heaven Realm is full of soldiers, and its combat power can rank in the top three among all forces in the Great Thousand World! Then there is the Sword Domain—the Realm Lord, the Green-Shirt Sword Saint, is also an Immortal Grade Heavenly Supreme, and it's the number one sword dao holy land in the Great Thousand World! However, sword cultivators are proud and aloof by nature, never participating in power struggles, only focusing on the sword dao. The Great Spiritual Mountain is a holy land of Buddhism, neutral and compassionate, often helping ordinary cultivators."

He spoke more and more smoothly: "Then there is the Great Thousand Palace—that is the headquarters of the righteous alliance! The Palace Master is a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign who has survived from ancient times! However, the Great Thousand Palace usually doesn't interfere in affairs, and major forces play secret games with numerous factions. In addition, there is the Land of Ten Thousand Graves in the Northern Wasteland Hill, where the Grave Keeper Legion suppresses the seal of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan. That place is absolutely neutral. Any force that dares to take action in the Land of Ten Thousand Graves will be directly wiped out by the Undying Lord; even a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign wouldn't dare to act presumptuously there!"

Hun Feng's brow twitched slightly. "Extraterritorial Evil Clan?"

Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng scratched his bald head. "This, this lowly one is not too clear either. I only know that they are extraterritorial fiends who invaded the Great Thousand World a very long time ago, and were jointly sealed in the Northern Wasteland Hill by ancient powerhouses. The Grave Keeper Legion of the Land of Ten Thousand Graves specifically guards that seal. An existence of that level is not something a lowly person like me can access. I've only heard rumors and don't dare to make things up."

Hun Feng nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"Aside from these top-tier forces, the Great Thousand World also has the Five Ancient Clans—those are top-tier clans that have been inherited for over a million years, with terrifyingly deep foundations! The Ancient Floating Pagoda Clan is the head of the five ancient clans, the most xenophobic, and looks down on outsiders the most; it is said that there is still a remnant soul of a Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign sealed in their clan grounds. The Mohe Ancient Clan has the greatest ambition. Clan Leader Maha Tian is a late-stage Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereign who always wants to annex the other four clans. The Tai Ling Ancient Clan is relatively neutral, specializing in the powers of light, healing, and purification. The Black Heaven Ancient Clan has lived in seclusion for many years, being both righteous and evil. The Huanggu Clan is an ancient clan of fist cultivators, with a straightforward personality, only respecting the strong—as long as you beat them, you can be friends!"

Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng spoke with great excitement, saliva flying: "There are also the Five Great Spiritual Academies—Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy, Saint Spiritual Academy, Myriad Phoenix Spiritual Academy, Azure Sky Spiritual Academy, and Divine Martial Spiritual Academy, which are places specifically for cultivating young geniuses. Oh, by the way, the Great Thousand World also has branches of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. Although they can't compare to the Five Ancient Clans, they are still top-tier Divine Beast clans. In addition, there are medium and small clans like the Luoshen Clan, Ice Spirit Clan, and Nine Netherbird Clan scattered across various continents."

When Zi Yan heard the words "Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan," her eyes suddenly lit up, and she abruptly turned her head to look at Hun Feng. Hun Feng nodded slightly to her, indicating they would talk about it later.

Hun Feng fell silent for a moment. The power landscape of this continent was even more complex than he had anticipated. Saint-Rank Heavenly Sovereigns, Immortal Grade Heavenly Supremes, the Five Ancient Clans, the Extraterritorial Evil Clan—in the Fighting Qi Continent, the Emperor Realm was the peak; in this Great Thousand World, the Emperor Realm was merely the starting point of a Heavenly Supreme. His nine Emperor Realm experts, when placed in the Great Thousand World, were only nine Spirit Grade Heavenly Sovereigns, with the two great mountains of Immortal Grade and Saint-Rank pressing down above them. But that was fine; the more complex it was, the more interesting it would be. He looked down at Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng. "You are the most familiar with the Chaotic Demon Sea. This Venerable asks you—are there any strongholds nearby suitable for settling down?"

Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, yes! There are several abandoned sect ruins on the edge of the Chaotic Demon Sea, all left desolate after being annexed by the Three Saints Sect. However, the spiritual energy in those places is thin, and the development cost is too high. The Three Saints Sect didn't care for them at all, so they have been left wild."

Hun Feng shook his head: "What this Venerable wants is not a waste land with thin spiritual energy. Think further—do not restrict yourself to the territory of the Chaotic Demon Sea."

Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Not restricted to the Chaotic Demon Sea? Then this lowly one does recall a place! My Lord, south of the Chaotic Demon Sea, across the South Sea, there is the most spectacular volcanic group in the entire Great Thousand World—called the Burning Heaven Mountain Range! That mountain range spans across the entire southern continent, its area is terrifyingly large, several times wider than a normal continent! There are nearly a thousand volcanoes within its borders, over three hundred of which are active volcanoes, erupting continuously all year round, and the concentration of fire-attribute spiritual energy is more than ten times that of a normal continent!"

Hun Feng raised his eyebrows slightly. The Burning Heaven Mountain Range, active volcanic groups, ten times the concentration of fire-attribute spiritual energy. Why did this place sound so familiar? In his previous life, when reading *The Great Ruler*, the location where Xiao Yan established the Endless Fire Territory after ascending to the Great Thousand World seemed to be a volcanic group. However, the Endless Fire Territory described in the book at that time was at the southernmost end of the Great Thousand World—could it be this Burning Heaven Mountain Range? He suppressed the thoughts in his heart and gestured for Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng to continue.

"Is that place occupied by any force?"

"There is, but it's just an insignificant small clan called the Fire Swallowing Clan. There aren't many people in total, and the strongest among them is only an Earth Supreme. Even the Three Saints Sect is too lazy to recruit them," Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng said. "However, there is a big problem with that place—the south side of the Burning Heaven Mountain Range is right next to the Endless South Sea, and further south is the southern invasion route of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan. From time to time, Evil Clan scouts seep through, and the Fire Swallowing Clan is plundered several times a year. If not for the complex terrain of the volcanic group, they would have been wiped out long ago. The reason why the Three Saints Sect does not occupy that mountain range is because it is too close to the Evil Clan's invasion route; taking it over means they would have to guard the border for the Great Thousand Palace, which is not worth the cost."

After listening, a very faint smile appeared at the corner of Hun Feng's mouth. A vast area, ten times the fire-attribute spiritual energy, over three hundred active volcanoes, and deep underground there might even be secrets hidden that not even the Fire Swallowing Clan had discovered—plus, it was far from the core conflict zones of top-tier forces, providing enough space and time to develop. As for the Evil Clan scouts? Mere scouts—if they came, they would just be giving themselves up. This place was practically tailor-made for him. He turned his head to look at Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng: "Lead the way. The Burning Heaven Mountain Range, this Venerable wants it."

Outer Perimeter Commander Lei Meng was stunned at first, and then his face instantly turned pale. "My Lord! That place is truly dangerous! The Evil Clan scouts are no joke, and deep underground in the volcanic group, it is said there is also a terrifying Fire Spirit that not even the Fire Swallowing Clan dares to approach—"

"Isn't that even better?" Hun Feng stood with his hands behind his back, the Heaven-Slaying Flame silently circulating around him, the nine-colored flames casting flickering light and shadow on his profile. "This Venerable wants exactly this kind of place. The greater the danger, the greater the reward." He raised his hand, and the slaying heaven war spear gently sliced through the void, a space crack silently opening. "Everyone, follow. From today on, the Burning Heaven Mountain Range's surname is Hun."